International Summer School 2026
Learning Organisations in the 21st century
Summer School 2026
The Faculty of Organisational Studies in Novo mesto (FOŠ), Slovenia, invites students who wish to acquire knowledge in the field of organisational learning and development and to gain ECTS credits to the Summer School 2026: Learning Organisations in the 21st century. The Summer School is organised through the FOS International Transdisciplinary Research Centre LEAD (Leadership Excellence and Development) and the Academic Development Centre (ARC).
In today’s rapidly changing world, organisations that thrive are those that learn continuously, adapt effectively, and build capacity for collective growth. The Summer School 2026 explores the concept of the Learning Organisation, as developed by Peter Senge in his seminal work The Fifth Discipline, and examines how these ideas remain vital in the 21st century.
Across six interactive sessions over two weeks, participants will engage in critical discussions, applied exercises, and reflective activities designed to identify, analyse, and understand the five disciplines of the Learning Organisation. The Summer School 2026 is co-delivered by academics and guest practitioners who will share real-world stories drawn from both public institutions and international corporations, illustrating cases where the concept of the learning organisation was either strongly present or conspicuously absent. Through these accounts, participants will have the opportunity to discuss how the learning organisation is embodied in the 21st century with those who have experienced its effects first-hand.
Throughout the Summer School’s interactive and explicitly proactive approach, participants will be supported in designing personal and/or organisational action plans for each of the five disciplines of the Learning Organisation. These action plans will serve as concrete roadmaps to foster learning-oriented change in their own workplaces, studies, or communities.
By the end of the Summer School 2026, participants will be able to:
• Critically explain and apply the principles of Senge’s Learning Organisation.
• Analyse real organisational scenarios using systems thinking and reflective practice.
• Evaluate how learning processes operate—or fail to operate—within complex institutions.
• Design actionable strategies for all five disciplines of Learning Organisations
• Collaborate effectively across cultural, disciplinary, and professional boundaries.
Course Focus
Participants will identify, analyse, and understand the five disciplines of the Learning Organisation:
1. Personal Mastery – Developing self-awareness, purpose, and commitment to lifelong learning.
2. Mental Models – Recognising and challenging underlying assumptions that shape organisational behaviour.
3. Shared Vision – Building common purpose and genuine commitment across teams and organisations.
4. Team Learning – Enhancing collective intelligence through dialogue, reflection, and collaboration.
5. Systems Thinking – Understanding complex interrelationships and feedback loops that shape organisational dynamics.
Target groups: The program is designed for Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD students as well Young and experienced professionals are welcome too.
Course leader: Dr Tatjana Dragovic Andersen and assistants
Delivery method: Synchronous online.
Duration: 6 sessions of 4 hours each: every other day (Mon, Wed, Fri) over two weeks
Dates: May: 25th, 27th, 29th and June: 1st, 3rd and 5th
Certificates/Credits:
• Digital certificate of attendance for all participants.
• 6 ECTS for students submitting a final Portfolio (passed).
• Bachelor’s students’ Portfolio includes action plans and reflective notes created during the course, with argumentations underpinned by a theoretical framework.
• Master’s and PhD students’ Portfolios include action plans designed during the course, with argumentations underpinned by a theoretical framework and an additional small-scale study.
Programme
International Summer School 2026
Learning Organisations in the 21st century
Duration: May 25th – June 5th, 2026
Format: On-line
Sessions take place between 16:00 and 20:00 (CET)
Course Leader: Dr Tatjana Dragovic Andersen
| Monday, 25th May, 2026 | Presenter | Time (CET) |
|---|---|---|
| Opening of the Summer School (Dean's address) | Prof. Annmarie Gorenc Zoran | 16.00 - 16.10 |
| Overview of the Summer School 2026: Learning Organisations in the 21st Century | Dr. Tatjana Dragovic, Associate Professor | 16.10 - 16.45 |
| Learning Organisations from the 1990s to the 2020s Introductory workshop: Overview of the Learning Organisation concept Interview with a leader |
Urska Vahtar Higher Education Teacher |
17.00 - 20.00 |
| Wednesday, 27th May, 2026 | Presenter | Time (CET) |
| First discipline of Learning Organisations Personal Mastery: • Personal vision • Commitment to lifelong learning • Alignment between individual goals and organisational purpose • Creative tension between current reality and desired vision Interview with a leader |
Dr. Tatjana Dragovic, Associate Professor Urska Vahtar Higher Education Teacher |
16.00 - 18.00 |
| Case study 1 • Analysis of the case study from the perspective of personal mastery • Designing action plans for own personal mastery |
18.00 - 20.00 | |
| Friday, 29th May, 2026 | Presenter | Time (CET) |
| Second discipline of Learning Organisations Mental Models: • Ingrained assumptions • Making mental models explicit • Reflective practice • Adaptive thinking Interview with a leader |
Bernarda Potočnik, MA Higher Education Teacher Urska Vahtar Higher Education Teacher |
16.00 - 18.00 |
| Case study 2 • Analysis of the case study from the perspective of mental models • Designing action plans for testing mental models |
18.00 - 20.00 | |
| Monday, 1st June, 2026 | Presenter | Time (CET) |
| Third discipline of Learning Organisations Shared Vision: • From individual to collective goals • Dialogue and participation • Coherence across organisation Interview with a leader |
Karmen Semrl Higher Education Teacher Urska Vahtar Higher Education Teacher |
16.00 - 18.00 |
| Case study 3 • Analysis of the case study from the perspective of shared vision • Designing action plans for the development of shared vision |
18.00 - 20.00 | |
| Wednesday, 3rd June, 2026 | Presenter | Time (CET) |
| Fourth discipline of Learning Organisations Team Learning: • Thinking together • Collective intelligence • Team inquiry Interview with a leader |
Dr. Tatjana Dragovic, Associate Professor Urska Vahtar Higher Education Teacher |
16.00 - 18.00 |
| Case study 4 • Analysis of the case study from the perspective of team learning • Designing action plans for team learning |
18.00 - 20.00 | |
| Friday, 5th June, 2026 | Presenter | Time (CET) |
| Fifth discipline of Learning Organisations Systems Thinking: • Holistic analysis of interconnections • Feedback loops • Unintended consequences • Short-term actions and long-term outcomes |
Dr. Tatjana Dragovic, Associate Professor | 16.00 - 18.00 |
| Case study 5 • Analysis of the case study from the perspective of systems thinking • Designing action plans for systems thinking |
Urska Vahtar Higher Education Teacher |
18.00 - 19.30 |
| Closing of the Summer School 2026 | 19.30 - 20.00 |
Registration
We invite you to the FOŠ Summer School 2026 - Learning Organisations in the 21st century, which will take place online from May 27 to June 5, 2026.
The registration deadline is May 18, 2026.
Fee:
- Early bird registration by April 30, 2026 fee: 399€ attendance for participants who wish to listen - audit.
- Early bird registration by April 30, 2026 fee: 529€ for participants completing final assignments (passed).
- Regular registration by May 18, 2026 fee: 549€ attendance for participants who wish to listen - audit.
- Regular registration by May 18, 2026 fee: 679€ for participants completing final assignments (passed).
The price includes participation in the seminar, materials and a certificate.
Faculty of Organisation Studies in Novo mesto reserves the right to cancel a course. Students will be informed about the status of the course within one week after the application deadline.
Should a course be cancelled, the tuition fee will be refunded in full.
Presenters
Course Leader
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Dr Tatjana Dragovic Andersen
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Lecturers, Guest Speakers, Panelists and Experts
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Urška Vahtar
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Karmen Šemrl
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mag. Bernarda Potočnik
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Participant Testimonials
Participant Testimonials
Participant testimonials will be published after the conclusion of the Summer School 2026.












